Influx of refugees slows down in Austria

Vienna, Nov 28 (IANS) The number of refugees arriving in Austria has dropped rapidly due to winter weather, the media reported.

Less than 3,000 migrants arrive in Austria per day, compared with about 10,000 migrants in late September, a rare scenario since the influx of refugees began in July, Xinhua quoted the police as saying on Friday.

The falling trend is expected to continue in the coming days, police added.

The beginning of winters along the Balkans route to Austria is believed to be the main reason, as Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia have also reported a decline in the number of migrants arriving in their countries.

The Austrian authorities reported that the Styrian town of Spielfeld at Austrian border with Slovenia, a major gathering point for thousands of refugees, did not see new arrivals on neither Thursday nor Friday.

A total of 1,800 refugees arrived in the state of Carinthia on Thursday, with 900 arriving on Friday and a further 400 expected later in the day. This also marks a significant drop from the 3,200 arrivals daily during the weekend till last weekend.